Global Communication: Politics and Society

Our Master's programme is innovative, as "Global Communication" is the main subject of media and communication studies teaching and research. Comparative approaches to communication science issues are specifically promoted, both within and between Europe, America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

After learning the basics of global comparative communication research, our students deepen their knowledge of various subjects in the compulsory elective area of the programme. Political as well as social and cultural effects and uses of mediatisation are discussed in the area of politics and society; in the media specialisation, the focus is on media-related processes of change. You can choose freely from the range of specialisation modules and set your own focus.

Our students receive in-depth training in standardised and non-standardised survey and evaluation methods and develop their own research projects. There is also the opportunity to work on research projects at the Department of Media and Communication Studies. Independent research is encouraged here. A fast track to a doctorate is also possible if the appropriate requirements are met.

We attach great importance to the close integration of basic research and application-orientation. Our students are therefore familiarised with scientifically supported communication consulting for politics and society, in ministries, foundations and NGOs. In a compulsory internship, students can try out consulting in an internationally active company in Germany or abroad. For students who are aiming for an academic career, we also encourage early participation in academic exchange, e.g. through the application for presentations at conferences organised by ICA, IAMCR, DGPuK, ECREA or similar and the submission of articles for academic journals.

The Master's in Global Communication: Politics and Society not only stands for the internationalisation of communication science research. Internationalisation also applies to everyday student life. This includes the fact that English is the language of instruction and colloquial language, which promotes the academic and private exchange of international students. We promote stays abroad as part of the study abroad programme and/or an internship abroad. German and international students work closely together here.

The Department of Media and Communication Studies promotes close cooperation between students and lecturers. Short distances on campus, good accessibility and, above all, small seminar groups of usually around 15 students ensure a positive learning atmosphere in which a lively exchange between students and lecturers is possible.

Duration of the Master's programme

The master's programme "Global Communication: Politics and Society" generally lasts four semesters (two academic years).

Structure of the Global Communication degree programme

• Introductory module on theories and methods of global comparative communication research in the 1st semester,
• four specialisation modules in the areas of:
  • Media 
    Media discourses, media use and media effects in global comparison,
  • Politics 
    Communication and politics in global comparison,
  • Society 
    Communication, culture and society in global comparison
• two methods modules in the compulsory elective area of the 2nd and 3rd semesters
• a module that introduces students to communication science counselling practice and is supplemented by an internationally oriented internship module in Germany or abroad(Communication Research and Knowledge Transfer: Academic Counselling for Politics and Society).

The master's thesis is written in the 4th semester and presented in a colloquium.

Detailed structure of the degree programme

Sample study plan (pdf)

Study and examination regulations and sample study plans

Examination regulations for the Master's programme in Global Communication 2018 
Examination regulations for the Master's programme in Global Communication 2023

Internship: Academic counselling for politics and society

During the degree programme, students must complete an internship in an internationally oriented political, business or social institution. Academic communication counselling and consulting should be applied there and learned in practice. The subject advice and counselling service will support you in your search for suitable internships.

Experience reports from the internship

What is the Fast Track doctorate programme?

Fast Track means that talented Master's students are given the opportunity to signal their interest in a possible doctorate at an early stage and to orientate their studies towards this goal. Important parts of the programme, such as the master's thesis, are designed to enable the smoothest possible transition to the doctoral phase, which significantly shortens the time it takes to complete the doctorate.

How does the Fast Track programme work?

In your fourth semester, you will complete a master's thesis in which you demonstrate that you are able to work independently on the assigned topic using scientific methods and present the results appropriately within the allotted time. On the other hand, you also justify your acceptance as a doctoral candidate with a topic based on the content of your master's thesis.

What added value does the Fast Track programme have on the path to a doctorate?

• Early involvement in doctoral colloquia or the doctoral programme - the master's thesis can already be presented and discussed
• Shortening of the doctoral phase by at least one semester (due to the preparatory work in the master's thesis phase)
• Simplified acceptance as a doctoral candidate of the Faculty of Philosophy after completion of the Master's degree (preparation of an exposé is not required)
• Follow-up supervision after the master's thesis and support in the utilisation of the knowledge gained

more information on the fast track to a doctorate

What are the entry requirements for the master's programme in Global Communication?

• a relevant bachelor's programme (e.g. in Communication Studies, Journalism or Media Studies) or another social sciences degree programme with demonstrable content relating to communication and media studies

Information on entry requirements and the application process

• Prior knowledge of empirical research methods (12 LP/ECTS)

Admissions interview for the Master’s in Global Communication

Once we have conducted the examination of your application documents, we will invite suitable candidates to a face-to-face interview. All candidates who are not invited to an interview will receive a rejection notice via the application portal. 

Invitations are also issued via the application portal and should be confirmed promptly by applicants. As a rule, all those invited will receive an additional notification by email; however, due to spam filters, we recommend checking the portal regularly. 

Interviews are conducted on an ongoing basis and we endeavour to provide feedback promptly. Due to the varying volume of applications, waiting times for re-registration may vary slightly. For applications that reach us towards the end of the application period, please note that invitations for subsequent interviews in July/August can only be issued at short notice. All interviews will be conducted online via Webex.

The selection interview lasts approximately 15 minutes and is conducted in English. Your personal statement serves as the basis for the interview and is therefore of particular importance! During the interview, your 

• communication skills and your ability to assess yourself,
• your ability to present academic arguments and analyse problems,
• your international and intercultural competence, as well as
• your academic motivation for undertaking this master's programme. 

In the selection process, both the interview and your final Bachelor’s degree mark carry equal weight. You can achieve a maximum of 40 points in the interview. Your final Bachelor’s degree mark is also converted into points. You will achieve the maximum score of 40 points with a mark of 1.0. For every 0.1-point decrease in your mark, one point less will be awarded. If your final Bachelor’s degree mark is not yet available at the time of application, the mark required for admission will be determined based on the assessment of the selection interview. You will have successfully passed the selection process if you have achieved at least 60 out of a possible 80 points. 

What are the language requirements for the Master’s in Global Communication?

• a very good command of English 

How can I provide evidence of my language skills?

• TOEFL iBT: at least 80 or higher
• IELTS 6.5; C1 (GER)
• Bachelor’s degree in an English-taught degree programme
• Evidence of at least 6 months’ experience of higher education studies in an English-speaking country

Information for international student applicants

International students who do not yet speak German are strongly advised to learn German before and during their studies at the University of Erfurt so that they can take advantage of a wider range of courses taught in German. Suitable German language courses can be taken at the University of Erfurt’s Language Centre.

Language Centre

The Language Centre offers around 140 language courses each semester in 16 modern and classical (foreign) languages. It helps you to acquire new language skills and build on your existing ones.

Go to the Language Centre